Edward Garfield (1583-1672)
}} Biography Baptized Hillmorton, Warwickshire, 28 July 1583, son of Thomas and Agnes (_____) Garfield. Died in Watertown 14 June 1672, "aged about 97." Watertown Founders Monument He is listed on Watertown Founders Monument, commemorating the first settlers of Watertown, Massachusetts. The town was first known as Saltonstall Plantation, one of the earliest of the Massachusetts Bay Colony settlements. Founded in early 1630 by a group of settlers led by Richard Saltonstall and George Phillips, it was officially incorporated that same year. The alternate spelling "Waterton" is seen in some early documents. Edward Garfield emigrated from England in 1634 and was "one of the earliest proprietors of Watertown, MA and was Selectman in 1638, 1655, and 1662". The Garfield Genealogy by F. C. Pierce "He had a homestall on the river where the road past the old burying ground met Bank Lane. His descendants include a president of the United States and President Garfield of Williams College who is doing so much to improve international relations. He was constable and rate collector at 82." (Great Little Watertown, Page 121. ) Marriage & Family 1st Marriage 1611 MARRIAGES: (1) By 1611 _____ _____. She probably died in England, as she is not seen in any New England record, and Edward had married his second wife within about two years of his migration. 2nd Marriage: Rebecca Johnson (2) By 1635 Rebecca _____. She died at Watertown on 16 April 1661. # Samuel Garfield (1625-1684) # Rebecca Garfield (1636-1684) - 2nd wife of Isaac Mixer # Joseph Garfield (1637-1691) - Md Sarah Gale, Res; Watertown MA. # Benjamin Garfield (1643-1717) - # Abigail Garfield (1646-1726) 3rd Marriage: Joanna Buckmaster (3) Watertown 1 September 1661 Joanna (_____) Buckmaster, widow of Thomas Buckmaster. Research Notes Bond created much confusion in the accounts of this family, by splitting the immigrant into two men, and then doing the same with his eldest son. He first presents "SAMUEL GARFIELD ... a proprietor 1642, and had a son SAMUEL, who was apprenticed to John Flemming, Nov. 1, 1653. He was probably a son of the first Edward Garfield, but there is no further record of him." This is followed by "EDWARD GARFIELD died in Watertown, June 14, 1672, aged 97. He was probably the father of Samuel, above mentioned, and of Edward, next following." And what follows is an account of Edward Garfield, who had a son Samuel, the latter being credited with fifteen children, the eldest of whom was a son John, born on 8 February 1645/6. Savage was unable to untangle this presentation, and so went along with Bond, although with obvious reservations ("if Bond be correct," and "It seems to me, that Dr. Bond has confused the father and son making each die on the same day, and the age of the elder forbidding the likelihood of his being the father of the children"). Savage had, in fact, put his finger accurately on the problem. The date of death of the supposed elder Edward (14 June 1672) is bracketed by the dates of making and proving of the will of the supposed younger Edward (30 December 1668 and 16 July 1672). Source: Anderson's Great Migration Study Project. References * Edward Garfield 1575 List of Famous Descendants